Author: Judy Imamudeen

Developing learners as leaders is my joy! I am committed and passionate International Baccaluearate (IB) educator who loves cracking jokes, jumping on trampolines and reading books. When I'm not playing Minecraft with my daughter, I work on empowering others in order to create a future that works for everyone.
Prying off the Lid to Stir the Paint: The Enhanced #PYP and Teacher Agency

Prying off the Lid to Stir the Paint: The Enhanced #PYP and Teacher Agency

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How would you like things to be different at our school? This is the fundamental question that school leaders, teachers, students, and parents (really everyone in the building) need to answer. Because that is the starting point for our journey into “enhancing” our PYP schools–getting the Learning Community involved and excited about elevating the learning and teaching.  And this is the time to do it!

But maybe some of you are wondering where do we begin? Agency! This is the “heart” of the changes.enhanced pyp

If that word agency doesn’t connect with you, then I reckon you could replace it with another word: EMPOWERMENT.

Empowering students has been a major focus on a variety of blogs and blog posts; aside from the Sharing PYP Blog some of my favorites are IB Educator Voices, What Ed Said, and Sonya Terborg because they authentically grapple with the shifting mindset about our learners that I think all of us can relate to and feel inspired by. Taryn Bond Clegg has also created a compendium of resources. So if that is where you want to begin your journey into agency, then rummage around in those posts, basking in those fabulous ideas. However, I want to talk about the other members of our Learning Community because I believe that if we empower those people, student agency begins to happen organically. Today I want to respond to this tweet by the IB:

Voice, Choice, and Ownership

As I see it, enhancing our programs means that we need to disrupt the power structures in our schools, providing more voice, choice and ownership to our teachers. There’s an interesting story shared by David Marquet, commander of the nuclear submarine Santa Fe, of a moment in which he realized during a simple drill, having one point of command was not only limiting to the efficiency of operations of the sub, it was downright dangerous. He says that these traditional leadership structures throw “cold water on” the passion, creativity, and the working knowledge of those who are working under his command. He confessed that these hierarchical military structures in which the top leader does the “thinking” and the others down the food chain act upon those commands are embedded in many organizations-schools being one of them. In fact, schools are masters at it, as it has been the institution that has created factories of workers of the future. So, if we are to take this concept of agency seriously, then our organizational structures must collapse, in which “titles” only define who has the responsibility to push the “launch button”, but everyone else is in full command, not standing around anymore, waiting for orders. Furthermore, he states that “Good leaders don’t need to give good orders. They need to create teams that don’t need to be told what to do.”

Teachers as Leaders

Technically EVERYONE is a pedagogical leader, it’s just the level of responsibility and scale that differs. I know some of us enjoy being “the boss” but powerful leaders are the ones who listen to those they serve–it’s not the other way around. (I think this is why they call this a “power struggle”. ) leaders and powerThe reason why this is such a dynamic approach is that it demonstrates that we, as leaders, have trust in our teachers, believing that they are capable of change and willing to engage professionally in transforming our schools

With that in mind, we need to ask the teachers and get their ideas and opinions. Instead of asking teachers and staff to fit them into OUR box, why don’t we meet them where teachers and staff are and find out how they can authentically contribute to our school’s evolution? Why limit our school’s potential with our own finite thinking when we could approach them with a genuine intention to understand and appreciate their perspective and experience. I think this is the 1st step into figuring out how we can access their talents and employ them into new roles. I feel that it’s our curiosity as leaders that help us to see underneath the surface and begin to discern how we might start to transform our leadership structures. Because, if we were to reframe our definition of leadership, not as the one who has CONTROL, but rather as the one who has the ability to INFLUENCE, then a wide swath of possibilities are available and more people can be invited to the party, sort of speaking.

So what can teachers influence?

Professional Development: Professional development shouldn’t something that is done TO them-it is something that is done WITH them. I think often we assume we know what teachers “need”, making stark generalizations and not delving into the recesses of their hearts and minds, learning about what they desire and what fears they have. Plus, when we impose initiatives upon them, it creates passivity. We want teachers who are self-motivated, who can run with the ball, inspiring others, not compliant robots. Perhaps it’s time to personalize their professional development, allowing them to create their own PD plans.

Personalized learning is something that I am very passionate about. I created a series of podcasts to provide some resources out there for teachers to go deeper with their professional learning goals. I think one step of breaking down the power structures is to provide some i-Time or Genius Hour for teachers. Having them design their own learning path linked to self-selected professional goals can be a powerful means to develop a passion and a strong knowledge base.  By the way, I’m not suggesting that teachers only “can” chose the theme of the flavor of their Professional Learning Community –no I think teachers should be able to choose to work alone or in a team on these goals, further enhancing their agency, and then those groups get to choose the goals of their PLCs. If we remember that everyone has different learning styles, then it would further “enhance” to give them the freedom to choose the what, how and who of their professional goals.

Evaluation and Appraisals:  Let’s be honest, when teachers hear those words, evaluation or appraisal, they feel that this is either an exercise of fault finding or a justification process for keeping their jobs. These tools are the ultimate tool for keeping teachers in “their place”, and I think we need to start challenging this process and begin to reframe it. As true professionals, teachers want to be better because they KNOW that their daily efforts are making a difference in the lives of children. We should be giving credit to them, not finding ways to tear them down. Furthermore, I think teachers are more critical of themselves than leaders will ever be but they need authentic feedback. And as a leader who rarely observes the day to day learning classroom, how could you possibly give meaningful feedback? It’s for this reason why evaluations and appraisals are often seen as a joke–an exercise in “ticking a box” for accreditation rather than a true inspiration for professional growth and development.

So instead of putting a rubric or checklist of professional behaviors in front of them (if your school even has one), why don’t they create ones that mean something to them? How about school leadership toss out these autocratic structures and turn the reigns over to them? With that in mind, the only job that school leaders have to do is to provide absolute clarity–clarity of how these enhancements can impact the learning and teaching, and clarity of what your school’s mission and values are. This creates the intention to bring them into the fold of and is the fodder for an amazing amount of transformation to take place. In fact, if I was the ruler of the universe, I would lead teachers through a design-thinking process to recreate the evaluation and appraisal system, and allow the magic to happen.  Giving them the power of What If provides the motivation and creativity to really impact the learning in our schools.

Hierarchical Structures: Titles and Teams

The longer I am education, the more I want to challenge this. I wrote a post a while ago about What If Students Ran the School? (#SOL meets #EmpowerBook), and I’d like to ask to add this question: What if Teachers Ran the School? When I pose this What If-question, it makes me wonder what ideas around leadership structures could surface when we lean in and listen to the very staff we are leading.  These are just a few of my own thoughts and opinions.

In my mind, titles only provide a guide as to who has responsibility for what. It shouldn’t denote authority–give me respect or else! That is low-level leadership thinking anyway. However, I think if we gave teachers a genuine voice, then leadership titles really begin to be meaningful. They can trust us to do the job our title says we are supposed to do and free us from micro-managing. I believe Words Matter and creating titles can throw up walls or barriers to innovation.

So needless to say, I am very wary of creating rungs of leadership teams within the staff. If people are genuine experts in something, they should be called coaches because that denotes someone who is a mentor and teacher-leader, it’s a title that denotes active responsibility. But having “Head of ….” (ex: Head of English) suggests that this is the only person doing the “thinking” on this subject. I mean, the head is where the brain is, right? And we want everyone thinking!! Likewise, having a “Leaders of Learning team” or whatever jazzy name you give an “inner circle” creates cliques and resentment on staff. It creates a culture of “us” and “them”.   I think we need to dismantle any quasi-leadership team that has a guise of distributed leadership but poisons the well of school’s culture.

With that in mind, I am more in favor of having tasks forces that have active, focused energy on developing our school’s initiative. People with passion, coming together to forge a new destiny for our schools–that’s way more powerful and meaningful than any title we can toss at them. Plus, it gives more opportunity to have an eclectic group of individuals to come together, rather than hand-picked individuals.

So, as we start to question what these “enhancements” might mean for our schools, these are 3 areas that we can start to allow teachers and staff a stake in the game that we call “our school”.  Furthermore,  taking a design-based approach to examining these areas of professional development, evaluation and appraisals, and leadership teams, can begin to unlock the invisible chains that hold teachers back.  I think this will create a cultural quake, with the feeling of freedom and creativity permeating and taking root; because people being driven by a mission, rather than restrained by the tradition of “we’ve always done it this way”, creates a revolution on its own and, an exciting one at that.

Can you think of any other What-Ifs that need to be added to this enhancement when it comes to teacher agency? Please share in the comments below and get a conversation going!

 

What Really IS “Best Practice”

What Really IS “Best Practice”

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It’s Tuesday at 4:45pm and my brain cells begin to take a break. I’m struggling with my energy level, peeved at myself for not drinking a tea earlier so I had a mental boost for this meeting. Because I care. It’s about the counseling program at our school, and I want to be fully present. I think it’s important.

Now it’s 2:30am, and I am awake, a bit annoyed that I have the term “best practice” ruminating in my mind. Why is this the first thought this morning? And how can I make it stop troubling my thoughts?

You see the other day I had a colleague make a remark that for some reason has really gotten under my skin–“oh, it’s really just best practice, right?”. Here’s the thing, I’m really tired of hearing the term “best practice”. It implies some secret sauce, some cookbook, that if all teachers follow, will result in amazing student achievement. I think that’s an overused term to get teachers to comply with certain boundaries of your curriculum. Think about it, if you teach in a highly structured system (Think a national scheme like France’s, in which all French schools have to be on the same page, literally, on the same day), then they have an idea of “best practice”. However, in our PYP school, we are more unstructured, textbookless, with flexible timelines, and no literacy model or math program (ex: Everyday Math) that we all follow. Needless to say, our idea of “best practice” has less to do with teacher compliance and more to do with teacher creativity. Those are very different perspectives on education. And who is right? Which is better?  Who is the “best”?

Rumi-Quotes-10I’m not here to pick a fight but I want to call our attention to how we throw that term around. In fact, I’d like to toss that term on the ground and squash it. I want to bury it. It’s undefinable in our broad views of education. Because of that, I think it’s a “nothing” word like a cliche or overused term that has lost its precision and value.

John Hattie’s idea of “Know Thy Impact” is more meaningful because it really helps schools to define their context and go deeper into the Why with the How they implement their curriculum, no matter how rigid or adaptable the structure is. I feel that we should use a more active term to define the type of work we do with students:  Impactful Practice.

Yet, I think there is a space in which all of us can connect, an area of our schools that we can all agree upon. It’s the one thing we can all consent to- student relationships matter.  john hattie relationship.png

This is where our dichotomous learning approaches merge. No matter what curriculum we use, the pedagogy of the heart is the central feature of all the work we do in schools. It’s the reason why I made a strong commitment to fight off my tiredness and engage in a meeting about our counseling program because we are talking about the hearts of our students. Connecting with them?–Yeah, I want to do that- Every day, for at least 190 days this year!

It’s now 6am and I have transformed this agitation into a clarity of purpose. Perhaps you, dear reader, may feel the same way.  I hope that wherever we are in the world, despite how we teach, that we can all agree upon really digging in and cultivating an intention of “impactful” practice, connecting to and understanding the emotional landscape and perspectives of our students.  Doing this– that’s the only practice that matters. Don’t you agree?

#PYP Déjà vu or Jamais Vu? Approaching Familiar Units of Inquiry in Unfamiliar Ways

#PYP Déjà vu or Jamais Vu? Approaching Familiar Units of Inquiry in Unfamiliar Ways

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Picking up the strand of LED lights, I felt overwhelmed at the Chinese Hardware Market, I had this disorienting feeling that I’ve been here before, discussing the color of lights in broken Mandarin. As I walked out with 2 meters of lights, I felt like I was in a dream world, realizing that this whole experience was a  déjà vu.

But having the luxury of teaching a unit of inquiry year after year creates the same experience.  You read over last year’s planner, reliving the experience and ready to proceed in the same way. Easy, right?  Then you can tick that off your To-Do list and move onto other things like setting up your classroom or having meetings. But this year, I can’t do that. I’ve promised myself to take myself and the students “where the streets have no name” and that means that I have to approach units of inquiry from a stance of jamais vu, selectively having amnesia about what provocations and activities we used in this unit.

So why on Earth would I toss aside all the thoughtful planning of the past? Because it’s the past. And we’ve grown professionally a whole year since our team originally designed that unit. Yes, we may be re-inventing the wheel a bit, but our experience and knowledge require us to develop more dynamic and empowering units of inquiry. We know more pedagogically. Moreover, we have a whole new group of students, with new interests and questions. We need to readjust our sails because we are going on a whole new adventure.

So when we examined our current Who We Are unit (Our choices and actions define who we become as a community), we decided to use “the end”, with a water-downed version of our summative task, a “learning fair”, to begin our current unit. It made sense that they needed more practice making learning choices so they could cultivate their self-identity and self-management skills. Now we can use this data to reflect and refine how we might use this jumping off point to have them become leaders in their own learning.

5_album_photo_image
Making choices helps us to appreciate how they see themselves as learners.

I think using the end as the beginning is an approach that we may use again in future units because it provides the context for all the skills and knowledge that we would have “front-loaded” on the students in past units. For example, last year we did several lessons on Kelso’s choices and How Full is Your Bucket?  before we gave them the agency to make learning choices. How silly, right? It’ll be so much better having the context of conflict as a provocation to really engage in deeper conversations. If we bring these resources into the unit, it would because the students needed it, not because we wanted it, because it was on LAST year’s planner.  In fact, coming from this angle has really helped us to see how capable and eager our students are to be in control of their learning. Maybe we don’t have to waste time on the previous year “staple activities”.

As we embark on another year of learning, I intend to embrace the jamais vu, putting old planning aside and coming at familiar units from unfamiliar approaches. And I wonder what insight the children we give me about how I can amplify learning and empower them. This is what I look forward to so much: I grow as they grow. How fun is that?

#BuildMathMinds18: How Slow Thinking, Playing and Challenge Create Mathematicians

#BuildMathMinds18: How Slow Thinking, Playing and Challenge Create Mathematicians

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In the Build Math Minds Summit, Dan Finkel elaborated on this notion that “what books are to reading, is what play is to math.” And as he said this, my ears perked up, I leaned in and listened intently because this is all I’ve been thinking about for the last week as I begin to plan for next year’s inquiry maths with play as a pedagogical stance. He articulately beautifully how math thinking comes from asking questions, solving problems, playing and exploring.

So as I marinated in his words and ideas, I began binge learning all over again. Glutton for punishment?–I guess I am. But they say that when you teach others, you learn twice. So I want to share my takeaways from some of the presenters, Dan Finkel included, for the Math Minds Summit (which you should go watch right now if you read this post before August 6th, 2018). And because I know that the brain is more switched on when you present ideas as questions, my gleanings are represented in that way for this blog.

I hope it inspires you…..

During unstructured play, what kinds of questions can provoke analytical and divergent thinking?

How many? (number)

What kind? (classification)

How big? (measurement)

What if? (creativity and logic)

What makes games good to develop mathematical thinking?

  1. Anything with Dice
  2. 5 in a row
  3. Number sense cards (that show alternate variations of number patterns)
  4. Checkers
  5. Nim
  6. Anything with cards
  7. Anything that you can advance pieces on a board
  8. Games that involve making choices so that children develop strategy and thinking.

Provocations= Puzzles and Challenges

These can be concrete opportunities to explore estimation and making conjectures, but the heart of a mathematical provocation is that it must be intriguing to get the students curious and motivated to solve the problem. Consider if the provocation is going to…

  1. Allow all students to show their thinking and understanding in interesting ways.
  2. Invite conversation and collaboration among peers.
  3. Provide opportunities to assess what students know and can do mathematically.
  4. Have an ROI (return of investment) of time and resources–all the set up is worth it because of the cognitive demand and depth of learning that is going to come from this provocation.

(These 4 criteria were inspired from Jon Orr  and his work with starting a Math Fight)

These are some examples that I think were great examples:

“About” how many ketchup packets do you think can fit inside these containers?

estimate

Prompts that incite a variety of answers:

mathbefore bed

What language encourage matheI remember thinking that students should learn the way I taught; they should adjust to me. I could not have been more wrong. A great teacher adjust to the learner, not the other way around (3).pngmatical dispositions?

  • Demonstrate that wrong conjectures can be the jumping off point for refining our ideas with counterexamples which enrich our thinking and deepen our conceptual understandings.
  • Using descriptive and numerical language to highlight the math concepts  (He gave the simple example of saying “Get your 2 gloves” vs. “Get your gloves”.
  • Use language that shows that we, as adults, aren’t afraid of making mistakes, so they feel safe also.
  • Do NOT use words that suggest that you have to be “smart” or “fast” to do the math.
  • Likewise, do NOT give praise for being “fast” or “smart”.
  • Ask questions that provide challenge and make students take a position (conjectures):
    • Do you agree or disagree with this idea?
    • Why?
    • How do you know?
    • Say more about that?
    • In your own words, could you explain….?
    • Would you rather….. or would you rather……?
    • How might you represent your thinking?

What routines or thinking systems encourage mathematical conversations and develop conceptual understandings?

(Click to learn more on the links)

  • EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THIS routine: Present a problem or puzzle, asking them to….Write down, tell a neighbor, tell me EVERYTHING you know about this.
  • Number Talks: a simple problem shown that students try to solve mentally in a variety of ways.
  • Number String: a specifically structured string of number problems in which the numbers get progressively harder.
  • Counting Collections: The routine speaks for itself- students count set collections of objects. This develops a variety of counting strategies.
  • Claim, Support, Question: providing a claim (conjecture) that students have to provide evidence to support their claim. In order to deepen the conjecture, students can use counterexamples or ask questions that help develop a better math argument.
  • Two Truths and a Lie: students are presented with a math problem or graphic.  Students are instructed to create two truths and one lie about the math.  Then, students share their “truths” and “lie” and have other students decide which are the truths and which is the lie.
  • Which One Doesn’t Belong?: These are visual puzzles that have multiple answers. Click on the link to see a plethora of them. There’s also a book written by the same title.

Next week, when our 1st graders start piling into the classroom, I have an arsenal of ideas that I’ve gotten from this summit. (And it’s not even over!!) I really would invite you to check it out. I know, beyond a doubt, that our students are going to fall in love with math at an early age because they will engage in play, feel challenged at their level and construct meaning on their own timeline. I wish the joy of math for all children (and adults) out there. Don’t you?

 

#InquiryMaths: Planning for Play as a Stance for Math in the #PYP ?

#InquiryMaths: Planning for Play as a Stance for Math in the #PYP ?

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I’ve been binge learning through the online conference on The Pedagogy of Play. It’s been really inspiring for me. Last year, I felt like I was moving away from play-based learning and into more formally academic structures when I began teaching first grade. This has been a challenge for me because I miss the discoveries (theirs and mine!) and creativity that are natural by-products of a play-based approach. So as I embark on this school year, I have two questions that I am holding in my mind: How do I make math more fun and authentic? and How do I provide rich open-ended tasks that allow for multiple approaches with low threshold, high ceiling tasks?

These questions come from this quote from Jo Boaler, a math educator hero of mine.

Numerous research studies (Silver, 1994) have shown that when students are given opportunities to pose mathematics problems, to consider a situation and think of a mathematics question to ask of it—which is the essence of real mathematics—they become more deeply engaged and perform at higher levels.
― Jo Boaler, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching

loris malaguzziAs I reflect on that research, I believe the answer to my questions is to play. Not just because it develops curiosity and self-expression, but it cultivates self-motivation and an appreciation for the pleasant surprises that our mistakes bring us in our learning process. Moreover, from Boaler’s academic point of view, “they become more deeply engaged and perform at higher levels”. Um…so why on Earth wouldn’t we connect play and math?

What is play?  Play is the ultimate What If question in my mind because it allows us to explore with possibilities. Most Primary Years Programme (PYP) Early Years educators feel that the word “play” is synonymous with the word “inquiry”. As teachers, we can be intentional about marrying the joy of learning through play with our learning outcomes. I don’t think we have to suck the fun out of everything to make it “learning”; in fact, I think it has to be injected back into the process, especially when I consider that real * (think Albert Einstein and Euclid and Leonardo Pisano aka Fibonacci) mathematicians are exceptionally creative and playful with their ideas. (*Actually, I think ALL of us are REAL mathematicians, but not all of us embrace and delight in this aspect of ourselves).

So then if I approach inquiry maths through the lens of play, I need to consider ….

What tools can we use for play?

  • Loose parts?
  • Technology?
  • Each other?
  • Math resources (traditional, like geometric shapes, Unifix cubes, hundreds chart etc.?)
  • Math resources (non-traditional materials that allow students to create. ie: a bridge)

What mathematical ideas can be developed and deepened through play?

I actually believe that most of the time, when we are authentically engaging in math decisions, we are not doing “number” and then “measurement” and then “data handling”–it’s not that discrete in real life and often time these strands are happening simultaneously and overlapping. Play expresses this transdisciplinary nature.

What language can I use to invite “playfulness” with math?

I think our teacher talk is actually a critical component of shaping our mathematical identities. Also, the enthusiasm I communicate, either through my speech or through non-verbal cues is something that I want to be mindful of. My favorite book that addresses this is still Mathematical Mindsets  but I also love the simplicity of Peter Johnson’s ideas on language and I recently read In Other Words: Phrases for Growth Mindset: A Teacher’s Guide to Empowering Students through Effective Praise and Feedback which had a lot of gems in there that can be applied to developing our language around math learning.  I’ve been ruminating over how I can embed more sophisticated math language in our classroom vernacular, especially with our English Language Learners (ELLs). I really want students to talk like mathematicians, explaining their algorithms and debating approaches to problem-solving in a way that is light and spirited as if we are having a cool conversation. I know that deepening my ability to express the “fun of math” is going to be an area of growth for me because I have been brainwashed into thinking (like many of us were) that math is serious and hard. I STILL have to unlearn this when working with older children.

How can I document their learning decisions so I can create more opportunities to engage, process and reinforce key concepts while also expanding their cognitive boundaries? Right now I am reading A Guide to Documenting Learning: Making Thinking Visible, Meaningful, Shareable, and Amplified by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano and Janet A. Hale in the hopes of deepening my knowledge and finding answers to this complex question. I also find that this Math Mindsets Teaching Guide from YouCubed will be incredibly helpful in my professional learning journey.

So as I think about our first unit of inquiry in our stand-alone Programme of Inquiry (POI), I find this a wonderful opportunity to develop play as a stance to inquiry maths. Here’s the unit:

Central Idea: Exploring patterns and solving problems empowers us to think mathematically

An inquiry into how mathematicians . . .

1.Construct meaning based on their previous experiences and understandings
Make meaning from what they understand

2. Transfer meaning to connect and deepen their knowledge and understanding
Make connections to deepen their knowledge and understanding

3. Apply their understanding of mathematical concepts as well as mathematical skills and knowledge to real life situations
Use what they understand to solve problems

CONCEPTS – Connection Reflection
ATTITUDES – Independence Confidence
LEARNER PROFILE: Knowledgeable Communicator

 

I am considering what provocations would allow the students to “to show what they know”–which is really the essence of our first unit.

Before I do any provocations though, I have to survey and collect data. Nothing fancy, but I need to know their answers to the following questions and then analyze their answers to make informed choices on how we can create invitations to play in mathematics. Also, it helps me to assess the Key Concept of Reflection. aflThese are the open-ended statements that can help me understand where the students are now:

  1. Math is……
  2. Math makes me feel…..
  3. Math is fun when….
  4. I do math by…
  5. Math is everywhere (agree or disagree) because…..

Here is some of the brainstorming that I am considering for “provocations” to begin to shape our awareness in our daily lives and help create an authentic invitation to play. (By the way, this is my first thinking–I haven’t collaborated or researched with peers–so this is raw and rough ideas, happening in real time on this blog):

  • The ole’ suitcase: Place inside a seemingly odd collection of items from everyday life  that represent mathematical strands* like a pair of pants (measurement), a bottle of water (shape and space), a license plate (number and pattern), a bag of candy (data handling), a clock (number), a map (shape and space), some rocks or shells (data handling/number and pattern), some tape (measurement). Then have students pair up, select an item, and discuss the guiding questions. Record their thinking onto SeeSaw.

(*May I just say that I know that selecting those items and arbitrarily labeling them in particular strands is a bit comical because I know that the students will come up with more interesting ideas and connections than I ever will. But this is just an “accounting task” to ensure that, in my adult mind, I’ve covered all possible topics.)

The Guiding Question(s): If math is everywhere, then how are these things related to math? What math might someone have used to create these things?–What ideas were people thinking about when they made these items? (Key Concepts: Connection, Perspective)

The next day, we would need to share those survey results with the class so that students can start developing their identities as mathematicians. We’d probably come up with a display and have the students do a gallery walk and discuss what they noticed. Then I would set out these items and ask a follow-up question: If you were to sort these items, which things would you put together and why? (This is just to further identify the connections they’ve made)

Up until this point, I am just trying to kill two birds with one stone: plant a seed that math can be everywhere and collect data about their thinking. But now I have set up the opportunity to have purposeful math discussions through invitations to play.  Of course, the types of tools and learning situations that can be engaged through play will obviously vary based on the survey and the data collected from the provocation.

But I think we could set up a variety of “challenges” or authentic contexts that can be steeped in play-based situations.

Example: The Challenge: Your mission should you accept it……

  • Fill the cup: using a straw and this bowl of water, how might we fill the cup to the line?

Possible Tools: drinking straw, spoon, soap pump, timer, popsickle sticks, paper, pencils

Because I didn’t ask for a particular tool to be used, then this becomes a more open-ended task, allowing more choice and helps me to get data on the student’s thinking. This amps up the play quotient and math possibilities.

Possible teacher questions: What if you used a spoon (or straw, or soap dispenser, etc..), how might this change your results? How do you know that you have completed this challenge? How might you do this challenge faster? How do you think we could record your success?

This forward planning for a provocation and “play-storm” is really just the beginning. In less than 2 weeks, the doors will officially open and learning will officially commence for the 2018-2019. I couldn’t be more eager to approach this year’s learning with a dedication to play, taking their ideas and imaginings and connecting them to math learning that matters to them is going to be important and fun work. As I consider the possibilities with play, it gets me really excited. I hope, no matter what age we teach, educators see the value and need for play in developing mathematical thinking.

 

Surprising Reasons Why You Should Moo and Not Oink

Surprising Reasons Why You Should Moo and Not Oink

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“Why do we even bother educating children in the first place?” This question posed by Tom Hobson (aka, Teacher Tom)  really made me pause and reflect on the value of an education during the recent Pedagogy of Play conference. He suggested that treating school as if it was preparing children for the unknown jobs of tomorrow as rather silly when vocational training is really the domain of corporations and businesses and instead we should prepare students to be involved and caring citizens. In fact, he reminds us that our youngest learners today will be the creators of “those jobs of tomorrow”, so we should be dedicating our learning time to problem-solving and making informed decisions in order to develop sound critical thinking skills and creativity.

My favorite antidote he shared is how he takes out his box of toy farm animals on the 1st day of school, grabs a pig, and says to a 2-year old, “A pig says Mooooo!” just to get a reaction and get the kids thinking.  pig as cow.jpgHe wants to provoke them into questioning this information and seeing if it adds up to the experience and knowledge that they have about their world around them. I just loved that! I love it for so many reasons because this seemingly small moment opens up the possibility to learn that…

  • We need to really listen to what people are saying.
  • We can challenge information that seems “off”.
  • We have a responsibility to debate and deliberate information so that we come to a greater understanding of each other’s perspective and understanding of “the truth”.
  • We build intimacy with others by having difficult conversations with friends and family rather than destroying it by allowing misunderstandings to linger.

As I reflect more deeply on this idea, I find it imperative to have these “safe” opportunities for students to question authority so that they can learn how to express ideas with kindness and courtesy. We need children to look at us in the eye and say, “Hey silly, pigs go oink, not moo.” And we can lean back and laugh, acknowledging that the correction of information came from a need to develop connection and trust between us. Providing these sorts of opportunities to have them question the “truth” of information is really a critical need, particularly as we reflect on how technology is shaping our society. We need for them to get a sense of confusion and wonder so we can express our knowledge and debate our understanding–even if it doesn’t change peoples minds–the essential outcome is that they are thinking and challenging why they believe the way they do.  This habit begins in our earliest years of life and we have, I believe, an obligation to nurture it throughout their lifespan in our educational systems.

I’m a believer!-Provoking thinking and offering up opportunities for debate should be on our “schedule” of learning every day. As I think forward to this school year, I’m wondering how I can instigate and give more space to these small moments for arguing issues that matter to them. Honestly, I think opportunities will present themselves and it just becomes a matter of allowing the discussion to take place, honoring their need to feel heard and engaging in dialogue. Because these moments are so vital to developing the brain along with the heart, I will put “challenging the moo” on my list of learning objectives for this year.

 

A Crack in My Heart Splits My Mind Open

A Crack in My Heart Splits My Mind Open

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I live in a bubble, I think. I have lived and worked internationally and taught in a PYP (Primary Years Program) school for a decade now and really have no idea what is happening in my home country of America. But this summer, I connected with educators at a training in the States and I was REALLY  surprised by what I saw and what I heard.

First of all, I saw students in summer school, sitting in rows of desks, being taught by a teacher at the head of the classroom. Not just in one classroom, but EVERY classroom that I passed by at the high school and middle school. This was an eye-opener. I really thought the days of desks in rows were over, that this traditional style of teaching and learning was a thing of the past.  But clearly, in these Blue Ribbon Schools, it was still the norm. Ironically, in our teacher training room, we gathered to learn professionally at tables, sharing and collaborating about preparing our learners for the 21st century.

In developing countries, I expect to see this in their public schools. Updating their classrooms are expensive and not many schools have the opportunity to do this. But in the developed countries like America, this is inexcusable. However, it doesn’t take thousands of dollars to push those desks together–get rid of those rows! If you can’t afford to make physical improvements, then make pedagogical ones! Why do classrooms look like the 1960s? I was appalled.

classroom_layout_-_what_does_the_research_say_855_513_48

Then as we planned to take our learning back, making action plans, our conversations turned to our realities at our schools. These educators I gathered with were NOT working at inner-city schools, but some of their stories made me feel incredibly concerned and worried for those educators who do. But there was one technology “specialist” (I put that in brackets because her district and school were really wasting her talent–no offense to her, but anyone could have done her job) whose sole purpose was to teach keyboarding skills so that the students could be better test takers on the new digital state exams. Doesn’t that bother you? And how authentic and reliable are those test results when they depend upon students being able to type out answers? Furthermore, what about schools that can’t afford this “specialist”–how might this impact their funding? This is wrong on so many levels.

I don’t know if I am more mad or sad by this glimpse of reality for educators in America. And it makes me realize how my little bubble is probably an exception rather than a norm for so many educators around the world. Considering this has put a little crack in my heart. I really hope that educators, despite their schools or districts challenges, really start to question the little stuff and move away from these traditional structures.  Not to be trendy but because it is necessary and critical to preparing our students for their ever-changing world. As I think forward about this upcoming school year, it’s certainly has made me question what of the “old ways” I cling to–maybe not the desks in rows, but if I dare to look “under the rug”, I bet I’d find some dust as I reflect. Perhaps this is the greatest thing I can do as my summer rolls to an end: reflect and review.
#EdLeadership: 3 “Bright Lines” That Help Support Co-teaching and Team Collaboration

#EdLeadership: 3 “Bright Lines” That Help Support Co-teaching and Team Collaboration

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The days of the silos in education are phasing out. Inclusivity and collaboration are in, and co-teaching is becoming more of a common feature in our 21st-century classrooms. So how can educational leaders encourage creativity and cooperation? — by making it easy for groups of teachers and teams to come together to plan, create and collaborate. And how can we mitigate the friction and build a culture of openness where everyone feels empowered, engaged and inspired? I think the answer is bright lines. 

Bright lines?-I know what you are thinking–What the heck is she talking about?  Well, most of us take for granted the white or yellow lines that are painted on our roads. However, years ago, when cars began to become popular vehicles, that innovation made a tremendous impact on road safety – And whether you drive in Omaha, Nebraska or Jakarta, Indonesia, it helps drivers to maintain lane discipline, and avoid oncoming traffic and other potential hazards.I remember thinking that students should learn the way I taught- they should adjust to me. I could not have been more wrong. A great teacher adjust to the learner, not the other way around (1) But those line markings or “bright lines” can only serve their purpose if they can easily be seen by all road users, in all conditions. Okay, so hold onto that concept while I digress a moment …..

I think we can all agree and appreciate that ideas become amplified when groups of self-motivated people with a collective vision join together and dig into challenges. But Simon Sinek really expresses the conundrum that we face in teams:

There’s a paradox with being a human being. At all times, at every moment on every day, we are both individuals and members of groups. We are both responsible for ourselves and own happiness and our own joy, but, at the same time, we are members of multiple groups at every moment. And this produces some complications, we have to make decisions. So do we put ourselves first or do we put the group first? And there’s a debate: some people say you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of the group; and some say, “No, no, no!”, you take care of the group and that’s what helps take care of you.  And the answer is YES–it’s not one of the other. The answer is both, simultaneously.

Simon Sinek, #followthereader with Jay Shetty

Can you relate to the tug and pull on our emotions when we are involved in teams? I totally do! I think-How do I do ME and yet help become a better WE?

Well, the more I consider it, the more I feel that “bright lines” can create the boundaries you just can’t cross in a team so that the “I” and “We” can co-exist in harmony. These are non-negotiables that your team articulates that put you on the road to success (pun intended).  And perhaps the best way is for teams to identify the “bright lines” around their purpose, roles and goals.

Bright Line #1: Common Purpose

How often do you jump in your car (or any form of transportation) and just start driving? I bet most of the time you have a reason why you got into your car and a have a destination in mind.

Hmmm….. But how in our “Teacher back to school” week, do we just “jump in” and start “driving”, without cultivating connection, intention, direction, with WHY we come together, to begin with. We start planning our Week 1 without really getting to know each other. Sure, some teams may be given some team norms or encouraged to make some common agreements, but then we either race through that stuff or get caught up with surface level chit chat (ie: Do you have children? Oh you have a dog? That’s nice, I like dogs!), without developing understanding and trust with each other. In my mind, that is HUGE and makes a really big impact on the effectiveness of the team. We take each other’s philosophy and passions for granted, failing to find our common ground and connect the dots between our personal values and guiding principles that impact our practice. I’m not suggesting that knowing the basic information isn’t important and necessary, but I think that’s more of a whole staff icebreaker rather than a goal of our first team meeting.

Last year we had discussed bringing our team together to co-construct a team mission statement, but because it hadn’t been encouraged in the beginning and we didn’t have a framework, it slipped way to the bottom of our team “to do list”.  However, when team members became really ill and had extended periods of absence, I could definitely feel the loss of that opportunity because it would have helped all team members to know what direction we should take, as well as helping the absent members transition back onto the team. I will definitely make it a point next year, and I think these questions can really help out sculpt our shared mission/team statement together.

Individuals reflect on these questions, write them down, then share them with the group:

Intention: What am I committed to? Why does that matter to me?

Direction:  What do I think is the best of the “best practice”? Why do I feel that way? What is the impact I hope to make?

Connection: What is something that is important for me to feel safe and valued? What is something that really hurts my feelings or annoys me? What is something that I want to improve upon that I’d like support and encouragement with?

I think the questions about intention and direction can guide the collective team statement, while the last “connection” questions help to organically shape common team agreements.

To create change that lasts, we need to know what we stand for. -Simon Sinek-

Translating those answers into creating a common purpose really draws those bright lines around your collaborative efforts while developing your “standard operating procedures” for the team. And those questions are just one way to approach developing your team’s identity and purpose. But having that in place, in my mind, is foundational. Teams can’t be successful without having high-quality professional conversations.

Bright Line #2: Roles- Driving In Your Own Lane

I’ve heard it said that when you’re driving in your own lane, there’s no traffic and no speed limit.  I’m sure from the previous conversations that the “lane” in which a team member is going to drive in is becoming more obvious, but these questions can further tease out our concerns and passions.

Individuals ask these questions:

  1. What am I good at?
  2. What do I love?
  3. What does our group of learners need?
  4. What does our school need?
  5. How can I serve the needs of these learners?
  6. Is there something that I can do to serve the needs of the larger community?

Under poor leaders we feel like we work for the company.  With good leaders we feel like we work for each other. -Simon Sinek-

Focusing in on ourselves and then widening the lens helps everyone in the group to appreciate what a team member finds joy and excitement for; also we can take notice of each other’s unique perspective and start to develop synergy around commonalities in areas in which we can intersect and elevate each other. It also is a moment in which we can be authentically vulnerable and a natural trust and closeness for one another can develop. Sharing begets caring.

A footnote here: If we really want to amplify the vulnerability then we can have team members express what they would like to work on and/or what they would like to improve upon. This opens a door to peer-coaching. But, in this instance, when we are trying to understand our roles on a team, it’s best to avoid personal/professional goal setting–that’s for another meeting time when we are not painting bright lines.

Bright Line #3: Goals- What’s The Destination?

Once you have “painted” the bright lights around passion and purpose, goals naturally develop. Now, as I see it, there are at least 2 layers to this–there are interpersonal goals with team members and then there are student learning expectations that come about as a result of our cumulative efforts. With regards to team goals, I feel that having a positive projection is critical, as well as developing optimism and motivation for team members. So questions that could support this might be…

What do I think is the “best case scenario” for our team and what am I willing to do and/or contribute to the team to make this a reality? What guideposts or milestones might I see that would indicate that we have arrived or achieved our goal? 

At our school, we often refer to our rubric/continuum for collaboration that could direct these conversations. Here is what it looks like:levels of collaboration

goals spectrumBut I really love this concept of a success spectrum from Faster than 20, and I would like to advocate for this applying this tool to our schools because I think it develops greater teacher agency. Also, because it is so broad, not only could be used for team collaboration goals but for student learning impact goals as well. Plus, teachers could use this template for their personal professional goals; so in my mind, this is a very versatile and handy dandy tool.

As for student learning outcome goals, so often we rely on standardized test scores or using our learning outcomes to define our destination. But this data, when you think about it, is really 1-Dimensional. It doesn’t really address the needs of the WHOLE child, and it doesn’t examine the powerful dynamics that happen in the learning community. Yes, it’s important to review data on math and literacy from the previous year, but I would caution that as being the only data explored. However, it is a place to start to look at the overall composition of the cohort and consider how you might elevate their progress in your own grade level.

That being said, what are the kiddos that might need additional support and whose responsibility is it to ensure they grow? (Admittedly, all of us, right?–but sometimes it’s nice to have “eyes assigned” to specific students if you have a lot of students with additional learning needs so no one falls through the cracks.) Also, bright lines need to be developed how the team is going to track their growth. What tools and methods are you going to use to examine progress?  If progress isn’t made, then what steps will members make to help those students? If progress IS made, then how are we going to celebrate it?

In summary, here are the questions that teams need to ask to define student outcome goals?

  1. What do we know about this cohort?
  2. Who might need more support?
  3. What do we know about these students beyond the test scores?
  4. What data are we going to use to track growth?
  5. Who is going to be responsible for anecdotal evidence of growth?
  6. How often are we going to evaluate the needs of students?
  7. What might we do if growth is stagnating and who is responsible to assess this?
  8. What other goals can we set for our students, outside of academic progress? For  PYP schools, I think our focus should be on ATLs and the  Learner Profile.

Personally, I think none of these questions should be skipped or overlooked, even if the answers seem obvious. The point of this is to make explicit the what, who, how and when of goals so that there is nothing implied and hidden on the team with clear and effective communication.

Bringing together eclectic groups of educators and developing synergy between them is a real challenge. What we want to avoid is a team member suffering from feeling that their ideas are being marginalized or watered down,  feeling snubbed and personalizing the rejection, rather than understanding that it is the idea that is being challenged. This can lead to members experiencing loneliness and apathy, disengaging from collaboration rather than leaning into it. However, I think developing bright lines creates understanding and empathy for one another on a team which can circumvent some of these future personality issues and conflicts.

I know these ideas around bright lines are really a “first thinking” around how teams can reflect and reveal the perspectives, purpose, and passion of its members. The questions are meant to drill down and reflect on the needs of an individual and the needs of the group so that “I” and “we” can work harmoniously and simultaneously to meet the needs of the learners. What is important and vital is having structures that express the goals, roles, and responsibilities of each member so that respect and collaboration organically develop.  That is what effective leadership does on Day 1.

As I begin to think about the start of school, I look forward to deepening my understanding of how our team can connect and communicate more openly so that our team’s combined efforts can create amplified learning.

 

Hopes and Concerns-The Power of Conversations with Parents and Caregivers

Hopes and Concerns-The Power of Conversations with Parents and Caregivers

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No one wants to be known as being at the worst school in the worst district in the country, but that was what Staton Elementary was known for a long period of a time. Back in 2005, the school district decided to “reconstitute” it because test scores were so pitiful, less than 20% proficiency in both literacy and math. They basically replaced all the administration and teaching staff to get a fresh start, so it was only the students and their parents that remained the constant. The new principal, Caroline Fisherow was really stunned by what she saw, with the level of behavioral issues and truancy. She pleaded to become a pilot school for a program that had been successful in Sacramento, California. It was designed by educational consultants from the  Flamboyan Foundation whose primary focus is to increase family engagement because they believe that “people solve problems” and schools NEEDED parents to be involved in their children’s education to overcome obstacles in learning. Flamboyan slideAt the heart of the effort were home visits, in which teachers would go to see parents before the next school year to talk about their children. Home visits aren’t uncommon in schools but what surprised me was the intention behind the visit–it wasn’t to demand support or provide information, it was just a list of simple questions that teachers asked parents, with parents doing most of the talking. Here they are:

Tell me about your child’s experience at school.

Tell me about yours.

Tell me your hopes and dreams for your child’s future.

What do you want your child to be someday?

What do I need to do to help your child learn more effectively?

Can you imagine how those parents felt? Can you imagine the instant connection and care they must have felt towards that teacher? Someone cared about their “baby”! Someone cared about their dreams for their child!

And can you imagine how that teacher felt? They were armed with a sketch of that child’s support at home, and also could understand the heart of that parent!

What a profound effect that had! Those home visits started those children on a path to success, with familiarity and trust with their teacher already established before the school year even began. Even more surprising was that there was a shift that was instant and dramatic in the school dynamic: behavior issues and truancy were seriously diminished, school events became standing-room-only, and proficiency scores that saw a significant increase (Math went from 9% to 28%, nearly tripling in the first year!). And what gives me goosebumps and watery eyes is that that the power of the home visit is sustainable; in fact, test scores and parent involvement continued to improve.

But I don’t think you need to be a “turn around” school to do this!  I think to have these types of conversations with parents BEFORE school starts should be a common fixture at schools. It’s too powerful- we shouldn’t neglect the voice of the caregiver.

I know at our school, we do a “Hopes and Concerns” meeting a day or two before the school year kicks off. Our parents do come to school–it’s not a home visit- but the intention is the same. It’s my favorite parent meeting. The questions are quite similar and the meeting lasts around 15 minutes. Before I begin the meeting I explain that I am here to listen and take notes. Parents are always eager to share stories and anecdotes about their child. The interaction is warm and friendly, and, as a parent myself, I often relate to their struggles and desires with their child. I can attest to the bonding that forms between parent and teacher, and I walk away from that day feeling confident that my parents are partners. It’s going to be a good school year.

So I hope this gorgeous story about Stanton Elementary inspires you to consider how you might connect with parents before school. I don’t know if there are any studies done between home visits vs. school meetings and their level of impact, but I firmly believe the place where the conversation takes place is less important than the quality of the conversations. However, I’m sure that developing parents as partners is MORE important than any other initiative out there.  In my opinion, because I see parents are the child’s first and longest-lasting teacher, the impact and influence those parents have on their child override mine any day of the week! Open communication with parents makes a world of difference and making it a priority on Day 0 of the school year ultimately creates a positive projection for those students.

 
#EdTech: Why Schools Need to Evolve and Put Computer Science in their Curriculum

#EdTech: Why Schools Need to Evolve and Put Computer Science in their Curriculum

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“Okay, Google-play some 70’s Music”, my brother-in-law says aloud. All of a sudden Google responds, explaining how they have located a Pandora station to suit his taste. Although Google Home is an obvious form of AI (Artificial Intelligence), it is pervasion in our modern lives, from Uber to SnapChat, to those recommendations on Amazon (and any online business that tracks our data). However, most of us don’t even understand how a computer works, let alone how it “thinks”.

Here’s a bit of trivia: in 2014, most common job in America- What do you think?-It was a Truck Driver. (Thanks to Amazon.com) Does that surprise you?

most common job in 2014

But if you want your students to grow up and become a truck driver, good luck with that!-that’s a dead end job. Self-driving vehicles aren’t really “science fiction” anymore, they are predicted to become a “science fact” by the year 2020.

In fact, by 2033, 47% of our jobs will be automated.  So what does that mean? Well here is a smattering of a variety of jobs and the risk of being a part of that statistic.

  • 98% of umpires and referees will be replaced.
  • 97% of cooks at restaurants will be replaced.
  • 89% of bus drivers will be replaced.
  • 68% of dental hygienists will be replaced.
  • 4.9% of farmers and ranchers (although they will rely heavily on tech to support sustainable practices)
  • 0.4% of elementary school teachers (Yeah! I have a place in the future!!)

Supply vs. demand for computer scientists may vary from state to state in America, but there is definitely no lack of opportunity and the need is only going to increase, especially with the rise of Artificial Intelligence  (not just Alexa or Google Home). No country will be spared. It will only be a matter of time before technology not only augments our lives but disrupts our economic opportunities.  Furthermore, it can’t be long before policymakers and educators begin to recognize that not knowing how to code will be as crippling as not knowing how to read. To be technologically illiterate is a handicap that citizens cannot tolerate, and it can be prevented for our students.

So why isn’t it there a bigger initiative to promote it in our curriculums? In my opinion, because of there too many “digital immigrants” in education that are too scared to learn something new. Let’s be honest–ignorance and fear hold us back.  If I was to poll you, lovely reader, and ask you if you know basic computer programming, most of you would woefully sigh and say “no”. And I have to wonder if given a choice between learning computer programming language (like C++ or JavaScript) or Hungarian (supposedly one of the hardest languages to learn), most of us would choose a human language over computer language. But I don’t think we need to go out and pick up a book about Python for our summer reading, but we can embed the concepts and that kind of thinking in our classrooms. So, not only do you translate those 0s and 1s into images and ideas, but you discover how to solve problems and understand the impact a decision may make. Have you ever read the book Algorithms to Live By? If you are a naysayer or you just can’t see the connection, then I would really recommend that book. You’ll start to see how algorithms (which are a part of a computer program), impact our daily lives.

I remember thinking that students should learn the way I taught- they should adjust to me. I could not have been more wrong. A great teacher adjust to the learner, not the other way around (2) Goodness knows that in our PYP  schools, which I feel lead the educational landscape for innovation, I think we should consider teaching computer science as if it was an additional language–not to be cutting edge and trendy–but because those skills and concepts will be necessary for our learners to co-exist in their future world if not lead and create a better world that works for everyone.

 

Computer Science has changed everything and if we were to unpack our daily lives, we would feel more compelled to bring it into our classrooms. Period. Not because we are “experts” in it, but because we need our future generations to have a firm handle on it in order to survive if not thrive. As I attend a professional development workshop given by Code.org, I feel excited to find connections and ties in with computer science and math, science, language and even social studies (PSPE). And, being the nerd I am, get to figure out how to pull it into our POI (Programme of Inquiry). Perhaps you are as passionate about this as well. Please share your ideas and suggestions in the comments below about how you embed it into your classroom’s learning.

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